Let's Read Swindle
by A Stripped Tigger
Summary: Well, Percy Jackson read, Harry Potter read, and even Edward Cullen read. But now, it's The Man With The Plan's turn to read his own story. Join Griffin and the gang as they read the first book of the Swindle series. What are you waiting for? Let's read!
1. Chapter 1

Let's Read Swindle

**A/N: As you know, before this 'Let's Read' book came out, there have only been 5 fanfiction stories about Griffin and the gang. As a huge fan of Mr. Korman's work, you can believe, I was shocked by the small number of stories written by fans. Hopefully, this story will encourage Swindle fans to write fanfictions about this lovely book. Thank you for reading my first fanfiction, and have fun reading it. **

**P.S. I don't own the book anything, except the idea about the characters reading the book. Also, If you have any advice or comments, please put them in a review.**

Chapter 1

Griffin Bing, The Man With The Plan, tapped his foot impatiently.

_Meet me at the Ballroom after school, I have important news!_

~ _Logan K._ The letters, that all five children received, had said. They all had arrived at the Ballroom on time. Everyone, except for Logan Kellerman.

"Where is he?" Griffin asked out loud to nobody in particular. "He said, to be here after school. He's late for his own meeting."

"I don't know," Pitch Benson replied, rolling a deflated dodgeball back and forth with her foot. "Probably something important suddenly came up. It wouldn't be the first time someone was late for something important." All five children loitering in the Ballroom scowled, remembering times when someone's tardiness almost ruined their plans.

"I doubt really it was anything important." Ben Slovak said, rubbing his sleepy eyes as he tried to patiently wait for Logan. "He's probably gotten us here, so he could tell us he needs help to practice his lines for some dumb commercial, again."

"God, I hope not!" exclaimed suddenly, Savannah Drysdale, causing Melissa Dukakis, who was sitting next to her, to jump in surprise. "I think I'd go crazy if I heard Logan complain about not having Sanjay Jotwani, as an acting coach one more time!" Before the others could agree, Logan Kellerman entered through the storage room entrance, panting for breath.

"Sorry I'm late!" he quickly apologized in between deep breaths. "I had to-"

"Save your excuses, Logan." Pitch interrupted. "Just tell us why we're here, so we can just go home."

"Yeah," Ben agreed, who was abruptly woken up by his prescription ferret, Ferret Face. "My mom is going to be suspicious, and think we're up to something, if I'm late for dinner."

"Alright, alright, fine." Logan said before anyone else could agree. "I bought you all here because I found this book at the library and-"

"A BOOK!" Pitch exclaimed, causing everyone in the room to jump in surprise. "You want us here because of a book? What for, to know what is a book doing in a library or something dumb like that? Because if that's it, I swear I going to-"

"Could you please be quiet?" Melissa spoke up for the first time. "I want to know why Logan would want to talk to us about a book. After all, the faster he does, the sooner we can go home before our parents become suspicious." Pitch took a deep breath. "Fine." Glaring at Logan, she added. "This better be good."

"Oh, it is! Guess what? We got a book written about us!" Logan beamed, as if this was even greater news than scientists finally finding a cure for cancer.

A full two minutes passed, before the others could process through their minds what he just said.

"What do you mean?" Ben nervously asked, being the first to recover.

Logan held out a paperback book, with a picture of familiar doberman on the front and four children slipping into a vacant house under a moonlike baseball, on its cover._ Swindle,_ the cover read.

"It's Luthor!" Savannah gasped. The children, except cheerful Logan and scared stiff Griffin, numbly nodded their heads. The picture looked so much like Luthor, it wouldn't surprise anyone in the Ballroom, if the huge dog leaped out of the cover and affectionately licked Savannah's face.

"And us." Griffin added. Forcing himself to move, he got up from the exercise ball he used as a seat, and pointed to the four black figures sneaking into the house. "This book is most likely about the time we stole the Babe Ruth card." Now the rest, except for Logan, were turning pale.

"B-B-But, there seven of us that were that time," Ben stammered. "There are only four on the cover."

"Yeah," Pitch added nervously laughing. "Its probably just a coincidence, that the dog looked so much like Luthor." Truth be told, Ben and Pitch both knew what Griffin said was true, they were just too scared to admit it. Griffin sadly shook his head. "I wish it was true, but remember, Darren, Pitch, Savannah, and I were inside the house."

"Melissa was there too!" Savannah argued, also not wanting to believe it.

"You see that open door there?" Griffin asked. He pointed to a door near to the left of the lookalike Luthor's snout. "That could be open because Melissa went outside, to check if the alarm worked. Making her not be on the cover." Griffin turned to Logan. "Logan, how did you find this?"

"Well, I was looking for a book to do a report on, then I found this book on a abandoned table. At first, I didn't think much of it, but I needed a book to do the report on, I picked it up and recognised Luthor on the cover and I also read summary on the back." Everyone, except Logan, stiffened.

The summary on the back?

Snatching the book out Logan's hand, Griffin flipped to the back of the book and read the summary out loud.

"**When Griffin Bing**," Griffin began in a nervous voice. "**plans a spooky sleepover in a haunted house that's about to be demolished, **

Ben shuddered at the memory of sleeping in that creepy house.

**he isn't planning on making a fortune. But then he discovers something more valuable than gold: a rare Babe Ruth baseball card, hidden out for many years. **

**Griffin's on his way to a million dollars... until a mean collector named S. Windell Palomino (a.k.a. Swindle)**

Despite the situation, Griffin couldn't help but scowl at the mention of Swindle.

**tricks him out of the card. Now Griffin must put together a team of friends (and one or two enemies) in order to get the card back. There are many things standing in their way- a menacing guard dog,-**"

" Luthor is not a menacing dog!" Savannah argued, defending her dog. "He was just mistreated and needed love and care! He is really a lovable creature, with a big heart!"

Although everyone in the room thought differently, they knew better then to argue.

"**High-tech security system, a very secret hiding place, and the fact that none of them can drive. But Griffin is a Man With a Plan,-**"

"You can say that again." Pitch said with a small smile, remembering that goofy looking smile he would get whenever he had a hair brained idea.

"**And even if some things go way beyond his control-**"

Ben snorted. "Some things? The whole plan went haywire at the last minute. We almost gone to jail."

Griffin sighed "Could you guys please be quiet? I only have a sentence left to read."

"**He's not going to let his fortune go without a fight.**" Griffin ended.

Melissa groaned. "Great, the story is about us." Everybody, except Logan, remembering the situation groaned.

"I know, isn't great?" Logan exclaimed, not detecting Melissa's sarcasm. "We're famous!"

"That's not a good thing!" Pitch angrily exclaimed. For once since he arrived, Logan frowned. "It's not?" he asked confused. Savannah held on to Pitch's hand, making sure she didn't lose her temper and go beat the poor boy to death.

"No, you idiot! If people read this they'll know that we were the ones who stole the dumb card! And that Griffin was the mastermind behind it! How do you think people are going to treat kid criminals? They are probably avoid us like the plunge! Or-Or- even-" Pitch blinked her eyes repeatedly to stop herself from crying.

"Pitch, calm down." said Savannah trying to soothe her. Logan, now realising the situation, paled.

"What do we do?" Ben said, almost close to tears also.

Everyone looked at Griffin. The Man With The Plan, let out a heavy sigh and sat on a deflated dodgeball. He never felt this helpless before. Not only did he talked his friends into doing his stupid plans and almost gotten them in jail, but now the whole world will know it. _I am such a idiot._ he thought.

"Well, what else do we do?" said a shaky voice. All eyes turned to see Antonia 'Pitch' Benson, standing up tall and tears running freely down her face. Even though she was crying and had a slightly runny nose, Griffin thought she was the most bravest person he ever met.

Seeing that she had everyone's attention, she added with a more firm voice.

"We read the book."

**A/N:Oh my gosh. I swear my heart was beating like a race car, when I wrote about Pitch helping Griffin out in his hour of need and suggest to read the book. I'm really proud about how I wrote this and would love to continue. However, if I get no reviews, I would just figure no one's reading this and give up on continuing, so please review, even the unknown readers. And maybe this will inspire you to write a Swindle fanfiction, like I hope it did. **


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter is dedicated to Tenebrae Erebus, my first reviewer.

Hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 2

"What do mean 'We read the book'?" Logan asked.

"I mean," Pitch sniffled, rubbing her slightly red eyes. "We should read the book and find out how bad it is. Maybe it's not as bad we thought. Maybe, it doesn't completely ruin our reputations like we think it does." Looking directly at Griffin, she said "It's worth a try, right?"

Griffin, happy that at least someone was trying to control the situation, nodded. "It's worth a try."

Pitch smiled. "Good. Let's read." Taking the book from him. She sat back down, flipping open the book, and began to read. "**You have been chosen for your special skills to do something that urgently needs to be done. To learn more, come to the Ballroom at 3:30. Don't miss this. It will be worth your while. - $$$**"

"It's the note you gave us! How the heck did they get that?" Savannah exclaimed .

"The same way they found out about our plan." Ben shrugged. Shaking his head, Ben murmured. "Gordon Korman is a strange person."

"**Sneaking out at night-helpful hints:**

**(i) When lying to your parents, maintain EYE CONTACT.**

Griffin gaped "That's my plan about how to sneak out for the sleepover! I ripped that up after I passed out a copy to everyone!" He turned to his friends. "Did all of you rip up all your copies?" Everyone nodded.

"Maybe, Darren kept his for blackmail and this Korman guy somehow found it." Melissa advised.

Griffin ran his hand through his hair. "Great. Now some weirdo with two of my plans." Sighing, he added. "Continue, Pitch."

"**(ii) Make sure you ask permission to attend the correct FAKE SLEEPOVER. (Boys- Stan Winter's place. Girls- Karen Lobodzic's)**

Griffin sighed.

**(iii) Meet at the OLD ROCKFORD HOUSE at 8:30 p.m. Friday. (You can't miss it; there's a CRANE with a giant WRECKING BALL parked in front.)**

**(iv) Enter through missing planks in BOARDED-UP WINDOW, first floor, east side. **

**(v) Bring your SLEEPING BAG. Remember: The old Rockford house is a CONDEMNED BUILDING that will be demolished TOMORROW MORNING.**

"Ain't that for sure." Ben mumbled.

"**There will no beds, no running water, no furniture, no lights, no TV...**

**When a plan came from Griffin Bing, even the tiniest detail had to be perfect.**

"How did he know that?" Griffin exclaimed, not liking the fact that some random guy knows what he's thinking.

"The man is a stalker." Logan said. "He's stalking Griffin so much, not only did he somehow take his notes, but he also know his thoughts" Logan looked nervously around the room. "He could be watching us right now."

Everyone paused. He wasn't watching them. Was he?

"Don't say that." Melissa said her eyes nervously looking around the room. "Nobody can't be watching us now. Right?"

"Right." Savannah said nervously laughing "Continue, Pitch."

"**He agonized over every fine point and possibility. All except one: What if nobody showed up?**

'"**We probably shouldn't have put in the part about no TV," Griffin's friend Ben Slovak-**"

"Oh no! He knows my name!" Ben cried out, horrified about this new information.

"**Said glumly. Griffin and Ben sat cross-legged on their sleeping bags in what had once been an elegant living room. They were surrounded by shredded drapery, remnants of ancient furnishings, and mounds of dust. All around them, the cavernous old house creaked and groaned with hollow, eerie noises. Outside, a thunderstorm raged.** **Griffin trained the beam of his flashlight on his wristwatch: 10:34 p.m**

"**I can't believe it," he seethed. "How could we get _nobody_? Twenty-eight people said they were coming!"**

"**Maybe they're just late," Ben offered lamely.**"

"I don't think every single person would be late for a 8:30 party." Melissa said look at blushing Ben oddly. "That just screams 'We're not going'."

"I just wanted to cheer him up." Ben replied

'"**Nine o'clock is late. Ten-thirty is a no show. Don't they have any self-respect? This is like saying it's totally fine for adults in this town to walk all over us." Ben would have dearly loved to be No-Show # 29.**"

"Ben!" Griffin gasped in shock turning to Ben, who looked like he wanted to disappear right then and there. "How could you? Do you want adults to walk all over you like stairs?"

"I hate Gordon Korman." Was all Ben said.

"**Only loyalty to his best friend had brought him here tonight.** **"Come on, Griffin," he reasoned. "What difference does it make if two people or two **_**hundred**_** people spend the last night in a condemned building? How does that show adults that we're standing up for our rights? They're never even going to know about it."**

"_**We'll **_**know," Griffin said stoutly, sticking out his jaw. "Sometimes you just have to prove to yourself that you're more than just a slab of meat under the shrink-wrap in your grocer's freezer.**"

"What?" asked bewildered Logan looking at Griffin, along with others, as if he grew a second head.

"I didn't have a clue what he was saying either." Ben said, shrugging when Pitch looked at him, as if he could translate what he said.

"I don't know, I couldn't think of anything to say and it was the first thing that came to mind." Griffin said "Let's just continue reading."

'**Why do you think I came up with the fake sleepover idea? I wanted to make sure everybody had an excuse to be here. That was the whole point of the plan" The plan. Ben groaned inwardly.**"

"Is that really how you feel about my plans?" Griffin asked, slightly hurt, asked Ben.

"At times," Ben replied cautiously, as if he were dealing with a ticking time bomb. "But most of the time, they are fun like a adventure." He lied.

Griffin narrowed his eyes. "Then why did you groan?" Ben gulped. "Because, we always get caught, then I have to listen to my mom lecturing me."

Griffin nodded his head in understanding "Oh."

"**It was the best thing about Griffin,**

Griffin smiled proudly at this.

"**and also his worst.**"

His smile soon turned into a scowl.

"**Griffin Bing was The Man With The Plan. "Maybe the other kids wanted to come, but they were scared," Ben suggested. "Of what?" Griffin challenged. "Dust? The rain? A whole night without no TV?" "This house is supposed to be haunted," Ben insisted. "You know the rumors."**

"Oh no, here we go again." Griffin groaned. Ben blushed in embarrassment.

'"**What rumors?" Griffin scoffed.** **"How do you think it got abandoned in the first place? Old Man Rockford was in jail for cutting up his wife with a chainsaw-**"

"Did they even have chainsaws back then?" Logan asked, turning to Savannah.

The animal lover snorted. "No, which proves that whoever was the idiot who started the rumor, needs to get their facts straight."

Griffin and Ben exchanged looks, trying with difficulty, not to burst out in laughter and make people think they are crazier than they thought. 

"**That's what Darren said."**'

Savannah rolled her eyes. "Figures." she muttered quietly.

'"**When's the last time Darren's said anything that's been worth the air it took to blow it out of his big fat head?" Griffin exploded.**

Everyone in the Ballroom laughed at this part. It was especially funny since what Pitch had just read was true.

"Sometimes," Griffin said, after everyone calmed down. "I think Darren just likes to listen to the sound of his own voice." Snickering, everyone nodded in agreement.

'"**He also says he's distantly related to the Rockfords- with no proof whatsoever.**"

"I still can't believe he was telling the truth." Logan said, shaking his head.

"I know! Right?" Pitch agreed. "Out of all the lies he told, including the 'Old Man Rockford with a chainsaw' thing, the most far fetched statement he ever told, just so happened to be the truth."

'**Besides, they didn't have a chain saws back in Old Man Rockford's time."**

"**They had railroads, through," Ben noted. "According to Marcus, the real murder weapon was a railway spike pounded into her skull." Griffin wasn't buying it. "He's just pulling your chain. You know he loves messing with people." **

"**But Pitch doesn't,-**"

"Why did you mention my name?" Pitch shouted "Now this Korman guy knows my name!"

"I didn't even know there was anyone in the house, besides Griffin and me." Ben defended "But even if I didn't mention you, you were going to be mentioned anyway, since you were part of the baseball card theft." Pitch groaned. "Great." was all she said.

'**and you know what she heard? The house is haunted by the spirit of dog that the old man brought home from Europe after World War One. Or maybe it wasn't a dog."**

**Griffin rolled his eyes. "Then what was it? A Komodo dragon?"**'

"I don't think it's legal having a Komodo dragon as a pet." Savannah said, hoping it was so she can give her roommates a new friend.

'**Ben shrugged. "Nobody knows. But just a few days ago after it got to town, pets started disappearing. At first it was just little kittens and puppies, but pretty soon full-grown Saint Bernards were vanishing into thin air. And there were bones buried all around the house-**"

"Well, dogs do bury bones, right Savannah?" Logan said.

Savannah, thinking about what it would be like to have a Komodo dragon as a roommate, just nodded.

"**Only Rockford wasn't feeding his dog any bones." A flash of lightning cast strange angular shadows through the boarded-up windows. Ben paused to let his story sink in.**"

"Actually, I was just freaking out about how convenient the lightning struck after I said something suspenseful." Ben corrected.

'"**The townspeople took the law into their own hands. They put rat poison inside a big steak and left it on the doorstep.**"

Savannah snapped out her daydreams, looking horrified. "For the dog to eat?" she gasped. "Those horrible people! Did it ever occur to them, that maybe Old Man Rockford had trained the dog to kill other animals? Or that the brute never fed the poor thing, so it was forced to prey on neighborhood animals in order to survive? Why didn't they just-"

"You do know the it's just a story right?" Melissa interrupted, not wanting to hear Savannah's lecture. Savannah blushed. "Sorry, I wasn't paying too much attention. Please continue the story."

'**It never occurred to them that if an evil spirit could live inside a dog-**"

"There is no such thing as possessed pet." Savannah protested. "All animals are innocent! Besides, they didn't even have any proof that Rockford's dog did it in the first place!"

"Just a story." Melissa reminded.

'**It could live inside something else too- like a house!" He peered around at the shadowed walls as if expecting to see something supernatural and hideous coming through. "Oh, come on!" Griffin refused to be shaken. "There's no such thing as a haunted house." "Well Marcus heard the story," Ben said with a sniff.**

"**No he didn't," Griffin reminded him. "He heard the one about the railway spike." "He heard **_**both. **_**And so did Savannah.**"

"Great, now I'm mentioned in the story." Savannah said with a sigh.

'**Only in her version, it wasn't a dog. It was a baby." "Why would the townspeople poison a baby?" "They didn't. It got carried away by a chicken hawk.-**"

Savannah snorted. "Chicken hawks don't eat people." was all she said.

"**But the baby's ghost put a curse on the house to take back all the years it never got to live. There was this schoolmaster- the first non-Rockford to ever live here. No one ever saw her again the day she moved in- or maybe they did. People talked about an old, old woman peering out of the attic window. But here's the thing: that schoolteacher was only twenty-three" A gust of wind blew through the eaves, and an unearthly moaning sound echoed around them. Ben's head retreated turtle-like into his collar, and even Griffin paled a little.**

"**No offense, Ben, but shut up. You're starting to creep me out." Griffin panned the crumbling walls with his flashlight. "It's almost eleven. Nobody's coming. Gutless wonders."**

"**It's the railway spike," said Ben nervously. "That's got to be a splitting headache. Literally." Griffin spread out his bedroll and lay back, standing his flashlight on its base like a miniature floor lamp. "Let's try to get some sleep. The sooner the sun rises, the sooner we can get out of this rat trap."**

"**Maybe we can leave now." Ben suggested hopefully. "Since nobody else came, they'll never know that we weren't here all night."**

Ben quietly sighed."I wish."

'"**Griffin was horrified. "You mean, **_**back down**_**?" These two words were not in his vocabulary.**

"**I don't want my years to get sucked away by some baby's ghost!"**

"You actually believed all that junk people told you?" Melissa asked.

"No! I was just scared because we were sleeping in a house that was about to be demolished!" Ben said.

'"**There's no such thing!" Griffin exclaimed.**

"**Who says you have to believe in ghosts to be afraid of them?" Ben challenged. "All right, fine, I'll sleep." He rolled over to his side, pulling his knees to his chest. "But if I wake up eighty-five years old, you owe me twenty bucks."**

"**Deal." They lay there in silence for what seemed like a long time, listening to the machine-gun rhyme of rain on a ancient slate roof.**

**Griffin stared up at a gaping hole in the ceiling that once held a chandelier. "I hope you know how much I appreciate this. You're the only kid who had the guts to see it through." His friend said nothing, so Griffin went on. "I mean it, man. The others- they talk a good game, but where were they? Darren dared half the sixth grade to come. He even made fun of us, said we'd wimp out. But who's the real wimp, huh, Ben?"**

**Ben's reply was slow and steady breathing. Almost like...snoring?-**"

"Seriously?" Pitch said, looking up from the book. "He gave a entire thank-you speech, for sleeping at a creepy house with him. And you fall asleep."

Ben blushed."It was past my bedtime."

'"**Ben?" Griffin sat up and peered at his friend. Ben was curled into a ball on his bedroll, fast asleep. Griffin let out a low whistle of admiration. Creepy house, creepy night, and Ben was relaxed enough to doze off. He came off as a big chicken sometimes,-**"

"Hey!" Ben protested, turning to Griffin.

"Well, you insulted my plans, so now we're even."

'**But when times counted, he was too cool for school. It was harder for Griffin to settle down. Not because he was scared. Not at all. Griffin stayed up mulling over the reason he and Ben were camping out with dust bunnies and a century of supernatural speculation.**

**He was thinking about the **_**last **_**plan.**"

"That's the end of the chapter." Pitch said closing the book.

"Can we read more tomorrow?" Logan asked, before anyone could become surprised that he had developed an interest in reading, he added. "I want to see if I will be introduced in the book."

Griffin shrugged. "Sure, same time tomorrow. But, before you guys go, keep on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary."

"Like what?" Savannah asked, stretching when she stood up. "I don't know how this Korman guy knows about my plans, our names, or our crime. But we're going to find out. We need to get as much information about this man and the book as possible. So, starting today, we need to look for info on him and keep your guard up. If this guy has my plans and knows our thoughts, maybe Logan's right. Maybe he is a stalker, so be sure no one is following you home." Everyone nervously nodded and exited the Ballroom.

Later that afternoon on his way home, Griffin had something he was well known for having. Griffin Bing had a plan.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm SO sorry for updating so late, but I wanted to wait until I had summer vacation to write this (so I wouldn't have to worry about schoolwork, etc). Without further delay, here is chapter 3. **

**P.S. Thank you, Aeronwen, for story altering this story. It means alot to me. :-)**

Chapter 3

_Mr. Korman~_

_It has come to our attention, that you have written a book based on children committing a crime._

_We the people of B.A.C.K. (B- Booklovers, A- Against, C- Crimes for, K- Kids), think this book may urge children to perform crimes because characters in a popular book are doing so. We urge you to stop this, at once, or we will be forced to take drastic measures._

_~ B.A.C.K. Organization _

"So, What do you think?" Griffin asked Ben as he finished reading Griffin's letter.

"Is the B.A.C.K. even real?" Ben questioned. Griffin snorted.

"Of course not, I made that up." Taking the letter from Ben's hands, Griffin folded it neatly and slipped it into a bright yellow envelope. Watching Griffin scribble Mr. Korman's address on the envelope, Ben couldn't help but say.

"Griffin, are you sure Gordon Korman is going to read this letter? I mean, the bright yellow envelope could attract anyone's attention, but Gordon Korman must get fan letters from people everywhere. Our letter would probably be on the bottom of so much fan mail, by the time Gordon Korman reads it, we already graduated from college!" Griffin smirked.

"I already thought about that." he said simply, leaning back against his living room sofa.

"You did?" Griffin nodded.

"Well, what is it?" Griffin stood up and made his way to his bedroom.

"Wait right there, I'll be right back." he said over his shoulder. With little else to do, Ben did as he was told and waited on the couch.

Time seemed to slow down as Ben waited for Griffin, it seemed like he had been waiting forever for Griffin to come. He couldn't even get a wink of sleep, because of Ferret Face, who bite him each time he tried to doze off.

"You're supposed to bite me when I'm nodding off in class, not when I have to wait, for what seems like forever, for Griffin." Ben mumbled, after Ferret Face had, once again, bitten him. Suddenly, Ben heard a '_Crash_' sound coming from the stairs. Pushing Ferret Face, who had poked his head out to see what was the noise, back down his shirt, Ben rushed over to see what happened. At the bottom of the stairwell, laid a large lumpy trash bag. Ben walked closer to it, wondering if it had something to do with Griffin's plan.

"Look out!" Griffin cried out, from the top of the stairs. Ben moved out of the way, just in time to miss another large trash bag.

"What are in these bags?" Ben asked, as Griffin walked down the stairs.

"Letters." Griffin answered beaming at the two trash bags.

"Letters?" Ben exclaimed. Lifting up one of the trash bags, Ben opened the top to see what was inside. Just as Griffin said, they all were letters. They were all many attractive colors. Red, orange, green, and other bright colors Ben didn't even know existed.

"I worked on writing them all last night." Griffin said, smiling with pride. "When we send all these letters, Gordon Korman will be most likely be reading our letters instead of a fan's."

"Do they all have the same message?" Ben asked. Griffin shook his head. "No, they are all from different made-up organizations and have a couple hate mail here and there. Not enough to hurt his feelings, but enough to make him quit stalking us and write something else." Ben nodded. "This could work." he said with a smile. Griffin smiled back.

"I hope so, I spent two months of allowance buying these stupid colored envelopes." Frowning, Griffin added. "But there is one problem."

"What's that?" Ben asked, confused. Griffin smiled sheepishly. "I'm going to need help carrying these to the post office." Ben groaned.

"What? But that's five blocks away! It'll take us longer to arrive there because of these bags!" Griffin nodded in agreement. "Exactly, so let's get this done and over with." Lifting up a bag, the two boys made their way to the front door.

Darren Vader didn't have to be a genius (but he was, so it was a bonus) to know that Bing and his traveling circus of misfits, were up to know good. It had been two months since they did a, what they call, 'zoobreak', and Darren didn't believe that they would give up on causing trouble so easily.

_They are definitely up to something._ Darren thought, when he spotted Logan speaking to a librarian. Moving away from the bookshelf, Darren slowly made his way over to the librarian and Logan, who were both in a deep conservation. The librarian rolled her blue eyes. "Logan," Darren heard her sigh. "If you want a book, you could've just asked. Honestly, you didn't have to lie and say it was for your mother. Even actors read, ya' know."

Darren moved in closer, picking up a book from a table, he pretended to be reading the back, while he was giving his full attention to the conservation next to him.

_Logan? Interested in reading? I didn't even know he knew what a book was!_ Darren shook his head, this had Griffin Bing written all over it.

Logan made a huff in protest. "I wasn't lying!" Logan exclaimed, only to be hushed by the woman he was talking to.

"I was acting." he said in a quieter tone. "They are two totally different things."

Both Darren and the librarian rolled their eyes. "Funny, sounded like a lie to me." she murmured, not intending Logan to hear it. Darren, who had heard it, snickered.

"So what kind of book are you looking for?" the redheaded woman asked, quickly changing the topic. Darren scooted closer.

"I'm looking for books by Gordon Kor-"

"Korman?" the librarian finished, with a raised eyebrow. Logan wearily nodded his head.

"How do you know?" 

"My older sister, despite the fact that she is thirty two, enjoys to read children's books." she said groaning, as if that was even worse than still being a bedwetter. "I tried to break her out of that habit, but she wouldn't listen. Recently, she had started enjoying a new series made by the author you're looking for. I think it's called 'Swindle' could that be -"

_Swindle?_ Darren thought, remembering the Babe Ruth card._ Deja Vu._

"Yes!" Logan exclaimed, causing the two people to jump. "Sorry," Logan quickly apologised to the startled woman. "I'm looking for the second book in the series. Do you have it?"

The woman pushed a strand of red hair out of her face, nodding she said.

"Yes, we have it. I remember resting it on a table because I was coming to talk to you." Scratching her head, she whispered. "I just wish I knew where I put it." Seeing the horrified look on Logan's face, she added. "Don't worry, hun, it shouldn't be too hard for me to find. It's not hard to miss. It's purple and has doberman on it, kinda reminds me of Scooby Doo. I'll find it before some kid takes it, okay?"

Without waiting for a response, she zoomed away, repeatedly muttering 'Scooby Doo, Scooby Doo.' Darren was just about to put the book back on the table, until he glanced at it, and saw a familiar purple. Quickly lifting the book up to his face and noticed the face of a familiar doberman. Confused, Darren skimmed through the back.

'**Monkey...Missing...Savannah Drysdale's...**' Darren's eyes widened in shock as he continued skimming. '**Griffin Bing is a Man With a Plan.**' Darren gaped at the book.

_Why the heck is there a book about that loser, Bing, and his friends._ Darren thought, shaking his head in disbelief that anyone would be interested in Griffin Bing.

_This is probably another get-money-fast idea *, well I want part of it. _Marching over behind Logan, he tapped the boy's shoulder.

"Listen Kellerman, I want-"

"Stop stalking me!" Logan exclaimed in surprise and spun around, only to be more shocked to find that it was just Darren, and not that Korman stalker. Breathing a sigh of relief, he said.

"Oh, Darren, it's just you. Sorry, thought you were someone else."

Darren smiled, which was a obvious sign that Logan should be worried.

"It's alright Kellerman, I just came to ask you a question."

Logan shifted uncomfortably. "Um...What is it?" Holding up the book for Logan to see, he asked. "Why is there a book about Bing? And don't try to 'act' your way out of this, if I don't get the truth, I'll use this book for my book report. The teacher would definitely be surprised to see who the main characters are."

"No, don't!" Logan cried out in protest. Pitch and the gang (Pitch mostly) would kill him, if they found out he didn't stop Darren from using their book for a book report. Sighing in defeat, Logan said.

"Okay, I'll tell you, but not here." Darren suspiciously raised a eyebrow.

"Why not?" he asked. Logan nervously looked around.

"We're being watched." he whispered.

"By who?" Darren asked, also looking around.

"By Gordon Korman, he's a professional stalker." Darren narrowed his eyes.

"Are you 'acting' again? Remember, I will use this book for my report if I find out you're 'acting'."

Logan shook his head. "I wish I was." he said sadly. "But it's true, we, me and the gang, are being stalked by a creepy man, who writes about our life in a book." Logan glanced down at the purple book in Darren's hand. "Or books, I should say."

Darren's eyes widened. "Wait, there are more books about Bing?" he asked. Logan shook his head . "I said too much." Lowering his voice, Logan continued.

"Meet me at Aunt Maria's Ice cream shop, across the street to hear more."

"Ice cream shop? Why there out of all the places?"

Logan rolled his eyes. "Because, I'm hungry. Duh. Also I have been hired to do a ice cream commercial and I want to practice." Logan finished, proudly smiling. Darren groaned.

**A/N: I hope this is long enough. Please read and review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter is dedicated to the very patient readers who were waiting for this. Sorry for the wait. This chapter is also dedicated to the newest Swindle story, ****The Runner: Book One****, made by eastern-tennis1621.**

**A/N: I lost the Swindle book, and being the cheapskate I am, stubbornly refused to buy a new one. So, I went on a huge Scavenger Hunt to find it. **

**After a year, I gave up and just bought a new one. =_= **

**I also bought the newest Swindle book, Hideout. :D**

**I didn't read it yet, I promised myself I wouldn't until I post a new chapter and here it is.**

**But before you start reading, I want to give you something, as a little apology gift for not updating sooner.**

**The Swindle Pledge **

**I promise I will always remember.**

**I'll remember through all the months, including December.**

**I'll never forget this silly little rhyme.**

**Even if I do, I'll look back at it, from time to time.**

**I promise to remember Griffin Bing, whenever I have a plan.**

**I promise to remember Ben Slovak, whenever I need my right hand man **

**I promise to remember Logan Killerman, when I see an cheesy act.**

**I'll even remember Swindle Palomino (that no good lousy rat)!**

**I promise to remember Melissa Dukakis, whenever I feel shy.**

**I promise to remember Darren Vader, whenever I'm bothered an pesky fly.**

**I promise to remember Pitch Benson, whenever I'm way up high.**

**I promise to remember Savannah Drysdale, when I see an cat, dog, hog, frog, and even a bird flying in the sky. **

**I'll remember Luthor too!**

**Especially since he looks like Scooby Dooby Doo!**

**You can count on me! **

**To remember the Swindle stories, wherever I may be.**

**Yup. I made a pledge. Percy Jackson had one. The Hunger Games, and even Twilight had one. So I figure, Griffin and his pals need one too. Please tell me what you think about it. **

**After you read, of course. ;-)**

Savannah frowned.

"He doesn't look like I thought he would." she said, examining the man smiling from the computer screen.

Pitch looked away from the website on Melissa's laptop.

"How did you think he would look?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at the other girl.

The animal lover just shrugged.

"I dunno, I kinda pictured him to look like some of guy you see on _America's Most Wanted_, not someone who you would find in the library."

"According to his website," Melissa interrupted, the computer genius' eyes remaining focused on the screen. "He's forty-nine years old, has a wife and three kids. He wrote his first book when he was twelve, called _This Can't be Happening at Macdonlad Hall_."

Thin fingers tapping on the keyboard, Melissa opened another website.

"It's basically about two boys, who cause trouble in school. So to stop them, the principal decides to separate them, but the boys get angry and plan revenge." Melissa added.

"And he wrote this at twelve?" Pitch skeptically. Savannah, now sitting on a slightly deflated exercise ball, nervously bit her bottom lip.

"What if Logan was right," Savannah said, earning attention from the two other girls. "What if, he stalked us, and wrote an book about us for the money. Maybe this wasn't his first time. What if, he stalked these two boys," Savannah nodded towards the website. "And wrote about how they got in trouble, so he could sell it for money."

Silence hung over them, like a thick blanket.

Before anyone of them could answer, the Ballroom door slowly opened. Poking his head in the room, Logan's eyes nervously darted around the room, as if looking for something he hoped was not there.

"Is Griffin here?" he loudly whispered to the girls.

Pitch shook her head.

"Where is he?" Logan said urgently.

"He called me earlier, he and Ben had to go to the post office." Pitch shrugged. "Don't know why, but he said he's going to come a little late." Pitch gave him a suspicious look, after he sighed with relief.

"Why do you want to know?"

Logan looked over his shoulder to see an impatient Darren Vader tapping his foot on the tiled ground.

"Well..." Logan trailed off, looking back at the girls. "Let's just say, I got a surprise for him."

* * *

Griffin Bing, The Man With The Plan, had learned from his past 'crimes', to always expect the unexpected. But he was still caught off guard, when he saw Darren Vader lazily sitting in the Ballroom with the rest of his friends.

"What's _he_ doing here?" Griffin hissed, pointing a finger at the unwanted guest.

"Why don't you ask Logan?" Pitch said, nodding her head towards the wannabe actor, who, for the first time, wished he was not the center of attention. "He's the one who invited him."

Ten pairs of eyes glared at Logan expectantly. Logan sent Darren an pleading look, but he was too amused by the newest drama he created, to help explain his sudden appearance.

"It's not my fault!" Logan exclaimed, shaking his head. "Darren blackmailed me!"

"How?" Ben asked, sitting next to Melissa.

"He found the second book!" Logan snatched the book out of Darren's lap and held it out for the others to see. "He threatened to use it in a book report, if I didn't tell him everything!"

Darren grabbed the book back. With a triumphant smirk, he said.

"That's right, Bing. I'll also be reading the book with you from now on."

"God, what awful sin have I done to deserve such a terrible punishment?" Griffin asked looking up at the ceiling.

"You mean besides breaking into someone's house and stealing animals from a zoo?" Savannah asked with a smile. "Absolutely nothing."

"If Darren is staying here, he might as well read the next chapter." Pitch said. Darren frowned, but accepted the book offered to him. Flipping to the page, he began to read.

"**You have been chosen for your special skills to**-"

"Not that page." Melissa corrected, looking up from her computer. "We're on the first page of the second chapter."

Darren grumbled as he flipped to the correct page.

"**As soon as the town had announced the meeting to decide would be done with the Rockford land, Griffin had spoken those five faithful words: "Let's work out a plan."**

**PROPOSAL FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ROCKFORD SITE**

**Griffin Bing- Head** idiot-"

"It does _not _say that!" Griffin protested, crossing his arms. Darren smiled.

"I couldn't help it," he said. "It seemed to fit in much better than 'designer' did."

"Just read the book correctly!"

"**Designer**

**(i) This PLAN, approved by the KIDS of CEDARVILLE,**" Darren frowned. "Hey, I didn't approve of this!"

"You didn't have too. Wild animals don't count." Griffin sneered. Darren scowled.

"Don't insult the poor wild animals, by putting them in the same group as Darren!" Savannah said with an frown. "They have feelings too!"

Darren decided to ignore that comment and continue reading.

"**shows how the land of the old ROCKFORD HOUSE can be turned into a SKATE and ROLLER PARK, laid out according to DIAGRAM "A" below (Scale: 1 inch = 12 feet)...**

**With the help of Ben, a few classmates, and Mr. Martinez, their teacher, Griffin put together a formal presentation to make to the town council. But on the big night, the committee had refused even to hear their proposal. They already decided on their own project: a Cedarville museum.**

**It still rankled Griffin. Not losing** because, already being a natural born loser, Griffin got used to it."

Griffin took a deep breath and counted slowly to ten.

"**Sure, that had been disappointing. But to be ignored completely, brushed off like a mosquito, just because you were young, was unbearable. That was why he was here now, in this ancient dying house. That was why **_**everybody**_** should have been here- every kid who was sick of counting for nothing in this town.**"

"Apparently Gordon Korman agrees with you, about kids being treated like slabs of meat under the shrink-wrap, or whatever." Logan said.

Griffin smiled. "At least one adult agrees with me."

Then Griffin frowned. "I just wish it wasn't the same adult who stalks me and makes my life into books for money."

"**It wasn't going to get a skate park built, but at least it would win them some pride.**"

Ben shook his head. "I still don't see how risking your life, without anyone knowing it, a way of winning pride."

"**Anyway, spooky, uncomfortable, and boring as this was for Griffin, it had to be better than lying in bed at home listening to Mom and Dad arguing about money.**"

This earned Griffin a couple curious glances.

"**He regarded Ben's slumbering form with envy. Try as he might, Griffin was too keyed up to fall asleep.**"

At this, Darren snorted. "Keyed up? Yeah, _sure_, scared is more like it."

"Hey, at least I went." Griffin reminded.

Darren flushed as he continued reading.

"**At last, he began to wander the empty husk of the Rockford house, his flashlight guiding him down the hallways and through rooms. At least the thunder had passed, the storm settling into a steady rain. So much for a dark and stormy night.**"

Pitch laughed. She imagined the forty-nine year old man with a pencil and notepad lurking in the old house's shadows snapping his fingers and muttering 'Doggonit!', when the storm started to turn into a steady rain.

"Sorry," Pitch said, when she noticed the strange looks received.

"**And then the creature landed in Griffin's hair.** **Full-on terror rocked him. The flashlight dropped from his hand, and the room was plunged into sudden darkness. He slapped desperately at his head-**"

"Why did you do that?" Savannah asked, looking at Griffin as if he loudly burped. "You could've hurt the poor thing."

"Well, I kinda couldn't help it, since I was panicking."

"**As the attacker beat its scalloped wings, burrowing into Griffin's thick curls, squeaking and screeching.**"

'_Poor thing.'_ Savannah thought with a frown.

"**In his frenzy, Griffin tripped over his own flashlight and went down, wrapping himself in cobwebs as he rolled wildly on the floor. He touched short fur, rubbery skin, and sharp clinging claws, but his slippery assailant resisted his grasping fingers.**

**It was over unexpectedly as it had begun. The creature managed to disentangle itself and flew off, leaving Griffin writhing there.**"

Darren laughed at the mental image, almost wishing he were there to see it.

"**He retrieved his light just in time to see an large black bat fluttering up the open stairwell.**"

Savannah gave Griffin a 'You're-So-Lucky-To-See-And-Touch-A-Bat' look, while Melissa just asked Ben.

"So where exactly were you, during this?"

Ben blushed.

"In my sleeping bag still sleeping." he muttered.

"Wow! Great job, Ben!" Darren said sarcastically with a laugh, before reading.

"_**You're okay,**_** he told himself, heart thumping. **_**Maximum gross, minimum danger**_**.**

**He frowned. There, illuminated in the cone-shaped beam, was an piece of furniture. Most of the house had been emptied prior to demolition day. Yet here was some kind of old fashioned desk. **

**He scrambled to his feet and went over to investigate. It wasn't exactly **_**Antiques Roadshow **_**quality. It was beaten up and cracked, and the rolltop was stuck at an odd angle. By the glow of the flashlight, Griffin played with many drawers and compartments. There was nothing of interest- just dust and the occasional dead spider. Only one tiny drawer wouldn't budge. Griffin pulled and the knob came off in his hand.** Great job Griffin!" Darren added. "**He tried to pry his fingers behind the face of the drawer, but there was zero movement. He perched on the edge of the blotter to catch his breath. The seat of his jeans pressed against a small button. **

**Snap! The locked drawer popped open.**

_**A release switch! This must be some kind of hiding place!**_ Well whaddya know? Griffin really does have an brain! A small pocket lint sized one, but still, it's a brain!" Darren snickered.

"Logan?" Griffin said, gaining the other male's attention.

"Yeah?"

"I wish you never brought Darren here."

"I had a feeling." Logan sighed.

"**Eagerly, he shone the light inside the narrow compartment. Empty.**

_**No wait-**_

**At the very back of the drawer, a flash of color caught his eye. He reached in and drew out an old faded card. There was an picture of a loaf of bread in the center, surrounded by the message: TOP DOG BAKERY PRODUCTS- FOR THE SANDWICH OF CHAMPIONS. He turned it over and examined the other side.**

**There was a color of a baseball player shouldering a bat. The image wasn't detailed, but the face seemed familiar. Griffin read the name on the bottom:**

**GEORGE HERMAN (BABE) RUTH**

**A baseball card! **No, duh!" Darren sneered, earning a glare from Griffin.

"**And it had to be old, too, since Babe Ruth had played a very long time ago. Griffin was no expert,** he was just a loser." Darren added.

"Darren, if you don't read the book correctly, then I'll read it myself."

Darren gasped with mock shock.

"You read?!"

Before Griffin could answer that, Darren continued reading.

"**But everyone knew some baseball cards were worth a lot of money.**

**Money-just the thought of it brought a dull ache to his stomach.**

Said ache was beginning to return into Griffin's stomach, when he realized what Gordon Korman was about to talk about.

"**The Bing family was really struggling to make ends meet these days.** **It had gotten so bad that Mom and Dad were even talking about selling the house and moving to a more affordable.**"

"That creep!" Pitch scowled, hands curled into fists. "He should know better, than to write about something so personal like that!"

"Even _I _wouldn't do that." Darren muttered in agreement. Sure he liked to talk about Mr. Bing's 'secret' projects in public whenever he had the chance, but it was just to annoy Griffin. He would never say personal business like that. He was a jerk, he'll admit, but he knew when to stop.

"**No way," Griffin said aloud, teeth clenched. It had taken him eleven years to break in this town and these friends. He wasn't about to give that up without a fight.**

Everyone, minus Darren, sent Griffin a grateful smile. Griffin, may have almost gotten them in jail twice, but they couldn't imagine Cedarville without him.

"**And if this card turned out to be valuable...**

_**Get it out of your head.**_** he admonished himself.**"

Logan looked slightly sick.

"Great, just great." he groaned, throwing his hands up in the air, nearly hitting Darren's face in the process. "First, he stalks us. Then he writes about our lives in these books, and writes personal information in them, while he's at it. Now he's a psychic!" Logan huffed. "Could this get any-"

"Don't say it!" Melissa said suddenly, startling everyone in the room. "Logan Killerman, whatever you do, don't finish that sentence."

"Wha...Why?" asked the confused wannabe actor.

Melissa sighed. "Just trust me, okay."

If Melissa Dukakis learned anything from reading books and watching T.V., she learned that just asking 'Could this get any worse?', somehow makes things a lot worse.

Darren, after raising an eyebrow at the computer genius, continued reading.

"**What were the odds that someone would leave a priceless** **collectible to be destroyed inside an condemned building?**"

Pitch gave an unladylike snort.

"Apparently, a lot, since you found one on your first try." she said sarcastically.

"**Still, it was possible. He could **_**hope**_**...**

**He made a face.** Oh! So that's why your face looks like that. It got stuck when it made the creepy face earlier!" Darren said with a laugh.

"Oh, ha ha, very funny wise guy."

"I'm glad you agree." Darren said. "**Griffin was not a hoping kind of guy. His philosophy: If you want something, you _make_ it happen. You don't sit around wishing for it to come true.**

**Yet the tantalizing image would not let go of him- his family's financial problems over, no more dark circles under his parents' eyes from staying up half the night, trying to squeeze money out of a bank account that had none to give...**"

Griffin narrowed his eyes.

"**Even The Man With The Plan could be a dreamer when there was so much on the line.**" Darren closed the book. After tossing it on Logan's lap, he stood up and stretched.

"So guys, same time tomorrow?"

Pitch sighed. "Unfortunately, yes."


End file.
